Tag Archives: Recipes

Greek Quesadillas

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I made these for dinner tonight:

So delicious!  If you’d like to give them a try, just follow the recipe below:

  • 4 whole wheat tortillas
  • 2 C spinach leaves, chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 1 red capsicum {bell pepper}, roasted and chopped
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, roasted with olive oil + salt
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Shredded Mozzarella cheese {about 1 1/2 C}
  • Crumbled feta cheese {about 2/3 C}
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Olive oil

Brush 1 side of each tortilla with olive oil.  Place oiled side down on a work-space, and layer half of each tortilla with Mozzarella, spinach, onion, black beans, tomatoes, capsicum, feta, and a bit more Mozzarella.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.  Fold tortilla over, forming a semi-circle, and cook in a skillet coated with non-stick spray.  Flip after a few minutes, till both sides are golden-brown and cheeses are melted.  Cut each semi-circle into wedges.

Enjoy!

Modified from this recipe.

PS – If you’re thinking that oven-roasted tomatoes and capsicum are too hard, think again!  All you do is take a pint of cherry tomatoes, slice them in half, toss them in 2 – 3 T of olive oil with some sea salt sprinkled on top.  Spread them on a baking sheet and broil for 15 minutes.  For the capsicum, just cut it in half, scoop out the insides, place the halves with cut-sides down and press them flat with your hands.  Brush with olive oil and broil for 15 minutes.  Once finished, peel skins off the capsicum.  If you want, put tomatoes and capsicum on the same baking pan and broil together to save on time!

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One-Bowl French Bread

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I made French Bread yesterday.

That’s right – I made French Bread.  The kind of bread that you want to eat warm and fresh from the oven.  With lots of butter.  Or by itself, if butter isn’t your thing.  Butter is definitely my thing.  That’s why my mom bought me my own little butter crock.  I’m not kidding.

Anyway…

The bread’s easy to make.  You don’t need a stand mixer or a bread machine.  Just a bowl, 6 ingredients, a wooden spoon, baking sheet, and an oven.

One Bowl French Bread

  • 1 T active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 C warm water, divided
  • 1 T sugar
  • 4 C all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 T cooking oil

Pour yeast and 1/2 C of warm water into bowl {water should be warm enough that it just borders on being uncomfortable when you put your hand in it}.  Whisk it around a time or two, then let it sit for 4 – 5 minutes, or till all of the yeast is dissolved.

Add 2 C of flour, remaining water, and sugar.  Mix together.  Add another 1/2 C of the flour.  If you’re using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook.  If you’re like me and are using a wooden spoon, then stir harder.  Continue to add the flour, one 1/2 C at a time, till all of it is incorporated.  You may have to use your hands, push a little hollow into the dough, scrape some of the floury bits into the center, and mash it all together in order to mix everything well.  I actually like using my hands – there’s something quite nice about the feel of bread dough, don’t you think?

Plop the dough onto a counter-top.  Spray the bowl and any bits of flour stuck to the sides of the bowl with non-stick cooking spray or brush it with oil or grease it with lard… whatever you choose.  Put the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and set the bowl in a warm place for 60 minutes, or till dough has doubled in size.  If you don’t have a warm place, you may have to wait a bit longer than 60 minutes, but don’t worry – it’ll get there!

Once the dough has doubled in size, put it back on a lightly floured counter-top.  Smush and stretch it into a rectangular shape 16 inches long {~40cm}.  You want it to be a bit mounded – not too thin.  Place the dough onto a baking sheet that’s been sprayed with non-stick spray and lightly dusted with flour.  Cover the dough again with a damp towel, put it back in that warm spot, and allow to rise for another 45 minutes or so, till dough is doubled in size.

Once dough is doubled in size, cut 6 – 8 diagonal slashes on top, then spray again with cooking spray {or brush with oil, melted butter, what have you}.  Pop it into the oven at 400F {200C} for 30 minutes, or till golden brown.  Remove from pan and let it cool on a wire rack or a cutting board, and try not to eat it all at once!

Original recipe can be found here

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Lentil Rice Supper

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If you’re like me, then you’re often on the lookout for recipes that are filling, nutritious, easy to make, and easy on the pocketbook.

Here’s one that satisfies all of those criteria, and it’s a cinch to modify based on taste.  It can function as a side dish or, if you’re like us, work as a main meal.

Lentil Rice Supper

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 – 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 C lentils {I’ve used brown and French green}
  • 1/2 C uncooked rice {I prefer wild rice}
  • 6 – 7 button mushrooms, chopped with stems
  • 1 2/3 C broth {veggie, chicken, or beef – you choose}
  • 2 – 3 T of extra virgin olive oil

Put the olive oil, onion, and carrots in the pot.  Sauté for a few minutes, till onions begin to soften.

In the meantime, put the lentils in a small bowl and cover with very hot water.  Let them soak for a few minutes and then drain off the excess liquid.

Add lentils, rice, and broth to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.  Add mushrooms, replace cover, and simmer for a further 20 minutes.  Season to taste.

Some Variations: You can add a chopped green capsicum {bell pepper} or some chopped cooked chicken.  Throw a cup of peas in there.  You could also cook up some Italian sausage at the very beginning, add the veggies, and follow the rest of the recipe from there.

The lentils in this dish aren’t soft and smushy, so if you like your lentils that way, then leave them in the hot water for a bit longer.  This is a great dish for putting together and then forgetting about while I’m doing other stuff.  You don’t need to stir it while it’s simmering away.

Chris and I aren’t the only ones who like this particular dish.  I’ve taken a couple of spoonfuls out, pulsed them a few times with a hand blender, and served it to Joe.  He loves it, but no surprises there.  The boy eats pretty much everything we put in front of him!

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Easy, Semi-Unsweetened, Homemade: Peanut Butter Coconut Cornflake Cookies

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I went to the grocery the other day and bought a large box of cornflakes.  Then, I remembered that Chris doesn’t particularly care for plain cornflakes.

Whoops.

So, I now have a big box of cornflakes at home and a husband who doesn’t care to eat them as is.  I can’t eat them because I’m doing my 30-days-without-processed-sugar challenge, and these babies have sugar in ‘em.

What to do, what to do.

Let’s make cookies!

I found a recipe for no-bake cornflake peanut butter cookies and gave it a try.

Chris assures me that they’re quite tasty.  They were easy to make, too.  From start to finish (including clean up) it took 15 minutes.  And if you have kids that like to help out in the kitchen, this would be a great recipe for them to try.

Cornflake Peanut Butter Cookies

  • 1 1/3 C crushed cornflakes
  • 1 C peanut butter
  • 1 C dried, shredded coconut
  • 4 T liquid honey

Combine all of the above in a bowl, mix together (you may need to use your fingers), and shape into mounds.  If you want to be extra fancy, sprinkle a wee bit of coconut on top.  Makes 18 cookies.  Store in a covered container in the fridge, and try not to eat them all before noon!

Note: I used regular cornflakes, but next time around I’ll get some that have no sugar or are sweetened with fruit juice, such as these here.  I also used unsweetened coconut and natural peanut butter {only ingredients: peanuts & salt}.  Also, make sure that the cornflakes are finely crushed, not just crunched.  Don’t be afraid to get out a rolling pin and take out your frustrations on them!

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Easy, Naturally Sweet, Homemade: Carrot Raisin Breakfast Cookies

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This week’s recipe is a good one – Carrot Raisin Breakfast Cookies.  They remind me of a sweet  muffin or bread, only in cookie form.  And I love muffins and bread!  They do have added sweetener, but the sweetener is real maple syrup – something that’s naturally occurring.

I’ll admit that they’re a little on the plain-looking side…

…but who cares about looks, right?  The important thing is: how do they taste?

In a word, they taste delicious.  They’re yummy and healthy and easy to make.  Oh, and they’re vegan – nice to know for when you happen to be entertaining vegan friends!  I don’t think that I’ll be using these to replace my morning cereal, but they’re a great little snack.  Like the granola bars, I store these in the freezer and just take one out when I have a craving.

And if you happen to be on the WW plan, you’ll be happy to know that 1 of these sweet little morsels is only 2 WW ProPoints.  Nice.

Carrot Raisin Breakfast Cookies

  • 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour {you can substitute with all-purpose, if you prefer}
  • 1 C rolled oats
  • 3 T dry millet
  • 1 1/2 – 2 tsp ground cinnamon {I love cinnamon, so I always tend to add a bit more!}
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 C light coconut cream {not the same as coconut milk, but can be subbed with melted coconut oil}
  • 1/2 C real maple syrup
  • 1 heaping cup of finely shredded carrot
  • 1/2 C raisins
  • 1 – 2 tsp fresh grated ginger {I prefer a less gingery taste, so I only used 1 tsp}

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  Prepare baking tray by coating with non-stick spray.

In large bowl, combine all of the above and mix thoroughly, being sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.  Place medium-sized scoops onto prepared trays.  Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, or till cookies are slightly firm and golden on top.  Remove from oven and let sit on trays for a further 10 minutes.

Yield – 2 dozen cookies

Notes – The original recipe called for dried cherries, but I happen to prefer raisins.  I’m guessing that you could substitute them for other complimentary dried fruits and it would still taste good: cherries, cranberries, apple chunks, or something else.  Just make sure that the dried fruit is chopped down to about the size of a raisin.

With the coconut cream – be sure to shake the can before opening.  The coconut cream has a tendency to separate into layers, as I discovered after opening it.  Bummer, but easily fixed by pouring the can into a bowl and giving the whole thing a good stir.

Another thing – if you don’t have fresh ginger or you just don’t like ginger, you could leave it out and bulk up the flavor by adding a few other complimentary spices or more cinnamon.  I’m not a huge fan of ginger, but I’ll admit that adding 1 tsp made the cookies taste a-mazing.

Adapted from Joy the Baker’s “Vegan Carrot Cherry Breakfast Cookies”

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Easy, Unsweetened, Homemade: Applesauce

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I had a whole bunch of apples that were starting to get a bit soft.  Rather than letting them go completely bad, I decided to make applesauce.

Applesauce is easy to make in a slow-cooker.

And it tastes so delicious and looks so yummy.

To make the applesauce, follow these 5 steps:

  1. Peel, quarter, and core as many apples as will fit into your slow-cooker
  2. Pour in just enough water to cover the bottom – you can always add more later if you want
  3. Liberally sprinkle the apples with cinnamon
  4. Cook on “high” setting for 4 hours
  5. Mash with a fork or hand-held blender

That’s all there is to it.  I made 2 crock-pots of applesauce.  The whole apartment smelled delicious and I was able to bag and store some of it in the freezer for later.  Unsweetened applesauce is a great ingredient to use when baking without sugar, and I like to keep some on hand.

Pay extra attention to step #2 – if you like runny applesauce, then add more water, but you can’t take the water out once it’s in there.  I learned the first time I made applesauce that adding too much water makes for apple drink, not apple sauce!  Use the water sparingly, and if you want, you can always add more at the end.  It’s also tastier if you use more than one variety of apple.  For example, I used New Zealand Rose, Fuji, and McIntosh apples in my latest batch of applesauce.  I generally grab whatever is on sale and use that.  Also, I tend to leave a little bit more of the peel on around the apple base than what I would leave on if I were, say, making an apple pie.  The extra bit of peel softens and is good for you, but some people might not like the texture of it in the applesauce.

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Menu Monday

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Hey everyone – I hope that you’ve had a great weekend!  Joe and I have a few things going on this week.  We’re going to a Plunket parenting class where we’ll hopefully meet some other mums and bubs.  The menu for the week will be pretty low-key with lots of veggies and healthy options.  Here’s what we’ve got on our plate:

MONDAY

Southwestern Goulash

I’ve made this before and have always added more pasta than what’s called for in the recipe.  Without it, it just reminds me of pasta with too much sauce!

TUESDAY

Homemade Chicken Soup

My recipes varies depending on what I’ve got in the kitchen.  This time around, I cooked roughly 1kg {2.2lbs} of chicken breasts in a stockpot with water.  I strained the water into a colander over a bowl, diced the chicken, put it + the water back in the pot, added 4 large stalks of celery, a lot of carrots {I used just under 2lbs/1kg this time}, 1 diced, red capsicum {bell pepper}, 1 diced onion, and a bag of frozen corn.  I add enough extra water to the pot to cover the whole mixture, then add 2 vegetable bouillon cubes and simmer till the veggies are soft.  Add salt + pepper to taste, then serve.  Delicious, and a great soup for the freezer.

WEDNESDAY

Lentil & Cheese Wedges – this is another new recipe.  I’ve been experimenting with lentils and have seen this one on several websites.  We’ll see how it turns out.  The ingredient list seems pretty basic… 8 oz (225g) red lentils, 3/4 pint (450mL) water or vegetable stock, 1 large onion, 1 T oil, 4 oz (1oog) grated cheese, a tsp of mixed herbs, 1 egg, 1 oz (25g) breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper.

Cook lentils in water till soft and all liquid is absorbed.  Saute onion in oil.  Combine all ingredients and press into oiled 9″ round baking tin.  Cook at 190C/375F for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly, then cut into wedges.

THURSDAY

Panko Breaded Eggplant

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I saw this recipe and thought it sounded like a yummy, healthier version of eggplant parmesan.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m hopeful that it turns out well!

FRIDAY

Leftovers and a “clean out the fridge/freezer” night.  I’m planning to do some cooking and freezing later on, so I want to make sure we’ve got space :-)

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Easy, Unsweetened, Homemade: Granola Bars

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Moving to NZ has forced me to pay a lot more attention to what we eat.  Food is more expensive here, and things that are readily available in the States aren’t on the shelves of our local grocery.  While I wouldn’t mind if the food prices came down a bit, overall, this increased attention to food has been a good thing.  We eat a lot more vegetarian-style than when we were in the States, and I’ve gotten quite handy at making things that I used to buy pre-made.  Things like pasta sauce, salsa, and cereal are all part of my usual cooking routine.  I make crock-pot applesauce and homemade tortilla chips.  I love to make soup rather than buy it canned.  I prefer to bake our own bread and rolls over those at the bakery.  We’re eating healthier, and I’m enjoying it.

My latest quest has been to find a healthy, no-added sugar granola bar recipe.  And I’ve found it.

Everyone, meet my granola bars:

Aren’t they lovely?

I’ve been goofing around with a couple of different recipes.  I wanted something that both Chris and I liked that was easy, that was healthy, and didn’t take long to put together.

This one definitely satisfies those criteria.

I like to wrap them individually in cling-wrap and freeze them.  I’ll take one out in the morning and have it with lunch or toss it in the diaper bag when I’m taking Joe for a walk.  Or if you want one ASAP but don’t want to wait for it to defrost, just pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds.

They’re healthy, easy, and oh-so-delicious.  A bit more chewy than crunchy, which is just how I like ‘em :-)

UNSWEETENED GRANOLA BARS

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 C rolled oats {regular or gluten-free}
  • 2 C coconut flakes
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 C sesame seeds
  • 1 C chopped nuts {I used walnuts}
  • 2 C unsweetened dried fruit {I used 1 C of cranberries and 1 C of peaches}
  • Dash salt

Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl.  Set aside.

Wet Ingredients

  • 6 ripe bananas, mashed {use 7 bananas if you want it a bit more moist}
  • 1/2 C canola oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence

Mix the above ingredients together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients {I like to mix it with my hands – this ensures that the banana is good and mashed}.  Press into a large baking sheet that’s coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Bars should be about a 1/2 inch thick.  Bake in preheated oven at 175C/350F for 20 minutes till edges are golden.  Allow to cool, then slice with a pizza cutter.  Wrap individually in cling-wrap and freeze.

Yield: 24 good-sized bars or 32 small bars

Feel free to adjust this recipe as you so choose.  Maybe you don’t like coconut, or you want something with extra cinnamon.  That’s the beauty of this recipe – I can make granola bars with raisins or dried blueberries or whatever I feel like.  And I cannot tell that they don’t have sugar – they taste so sweet and yummy!  They’re also much more economical than buying the boxed bars at the grocery.  Realizing that makes them taste just a bit sweeter ;-)

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Menu Monday!

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It has been a long time since I’ve posted a “Menu Monday”.  Time to resurrect that tradition.

Lately, I’ve been making a lot of recipes from Eating Well.  I’ve subscribed to their email service and have been pleasantly surprised with the suggestions that they send.  I’m trying to do a better job of using fresh vegetables and making food that is “fiscally friendly”!  I think that all of these recipes meet those criteria, with the exception of maybe one :-)

1. Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

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Split Pea Soup – it’s easy, tasty, and healthy.  What more could you want?  I’ve used this recipe in the past and can vouch for its yumminess :-)

2. Buffalo Chicken Casserole

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This is an “Eating Well” recipe, but I have to say that I can’t see how something called “Buffalo Chicken Casserole” can be all that good for you.  Chris loves buffalo chicken, though, and so I thought that I would give it a try.  I’m planning to put blue cheese on top of only half of the casserole, as I’ve never cared for the stuff.  We’ll see how it turns out!

3. Zucchini Rice Casserole

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I love this recipe!  Since they don’t have Pepper Jack cheese over here, I make mine with a few splashes of Kaiatia Fire thrown into the sauce.  Also, I use reduced fat beef sausage in place of turkey sausage, as I haven’t located any of that in New Zealand, either.  I also leave off the Neufchatel topping, and I happen to think that it tastes delicious despite {or perhaps because of?} those modifications ;-)

4. Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole

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Mmmm, lots of veggies and spice!  Since I’m breastfeeding, I’ll probably cut out the jalapenos in this recipe.  I like stuff that’s spicy, but I’d rather not give Joe indigestion.  I’ll use my homemade salsa in this casserole rather than store-bought, too – it’s much tastier and easy to whip together.

5. Salad Night

Continuing with our veggie theme, I’ll end out the week with leftovers and salads.  Greens, tomatoes, capsicum {bell pepper}, some dressing, a bit of Parmesan… sounds good to me :-)

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Candy Bar Cake

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Warning – reading this post could cause you to drool directly on your keyboard.

I saw the recipe for the Pioneer Woman’s Milky Way Cake a few weeks back.  It looked so yummy that I posted a link to it on Facebook and thought seriously about making it.  My only worry?  I wasn’t sure that I could find Milky Way bars over here.  I quickly learned that while there are MW bars over here, they’re not the same as American MW bars.  My Kiwi friends suggested that I use Caramel Mars Bars instead, and so I decided to give it a try.

Oh my.  This cake is exactly the way PW describes it – ridiculous.  It uses 11 candy bars.  I was in sugar shock just from making it!  Once it was completed and cooled, I promptly cut it up and put some into plastic containers to give to other people.  That’s too much chocolate to have lying around the house, but it was fun to make {and eat}.

You can go here for the original recipe, or if you live in NZ {like me!} you can scroll down and check out my modified version.  Whichever way you make it, be sure to have a glass of milk on hand.

Mars Bar Cake

  • 11 whole caramel Mars Bars {52 grams apiece}
  • 3 sticks of butter, divided, or about 340 grams divided into 3 chunks, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 C buttermilk {you can make your own with 1/2 T lemon juice or white vinegar + enough milk to equal 1/2 C}
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract, divided
  • 2 C sugar
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 2 C icing sugar
  • 1 dash salt
  • 1/2 C milk {more or less as needed}
  • 1 C finely chopped pecans

In a medium saucepan, melt butter + 8 candy bars over lowest possible heat, stirring to combine.  Set aside.

While candy bars are melting, sift together flour + 1/2 tsp of salt.  Set aside.  Mix baking soda with buttermilk, then add 2 tsp vanilla and set aside.

Cream together granulated sugar + 1 stick of butter.  Add eggs 1 at a time.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the creamed mixture, mixing well with beaters after each addition.  Add melted candy bar mixture and mix to combine.  Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan or jelly roll pan and bake at 150 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes, or till center of cake is set.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once cake is cool, begin making the frosting.  Melt remaining candy bars with butter.  Add icing sugar, dash of salt, 1 tsp of vanilla, and milk.  Add in chopped pecans and stir over low heat.  Pour over cooled cake and allow to set.

I used a jelly roll pan, and this yielded 24 servings.  Also, I thought the cake was just a bit dry – definitely not as sticky and messy as described in the original recipe.  I think that next time I make it, I may – gulp – try adding another candy bar to the cake mixture, since the Mars Bars are just a bit smaller than standard American Milky Way bars.  We’ll see!

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Oh, yes I did

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I finally did it – I made The Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls!

I have to admit that I was intimidated by the recipe.  It makes so many and it looks so involved.  I’ve never been good with dough and yeast and rolling pins.  But I had volunteered to bring something for morning tea at church and I needed to bring a sweet to a bridal shower.  I thought that I would kill 2 birds with 1 stone by making this recipe and having it all done and dusted.

It takes awhile to make these.  I started at 8:30am and finished around 3pm.  That’s with all of the breaks called for by the recipe for allowing time to cool, to rise, to chill, to rise again, and to bake.  But I did as Ree recommended and worked my day around it – did laundry, cleaned, took a walk to the fruit + veggie market, and just kept whittling away at the cinnamon rolls.

The one issue that I had was that I took her advice literally when she said “don’t be afraid to drown them puppies” in icing.  And so I did.  And ran out of icing.  Thankfully, I had another bag of powdered sugar and just made a wee bit more.  I let them cool {and tasted one a few for quality control purposes} and then put them in the freezer.  Beautiful and oh so delicious.  I’m very glad that I finally worked up the nerve to make these.

If you’ve been wanting to make them but aren’t too keen about the quantity and time commitment, then check out this pared down version which only makes 12 rolls.

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Grocery Shopping + Cooking

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Lately, my desire to grocery shop has gone out the door, down the stairs, into the elevator, and landed in the basement.  Then, it’s been crushed by one of the cars backing out of the car-park and rolled like a tumbleweed onto the sidewalk, where it’s been further kicked around by passing pedestrians.

Can you tell that food holds no interest for me these days?

Poor Chris.  He’ll ask me what’s for dinner, and I don’t know what to tell him – I need menu ideas you guys!  Send me your suggestions – something that’s easy, few ingredients, and low on the smell-o-meter scale.  Actually, if it meets even one of those criteria, I’ll be a happy camper. Because right now, I’m thinking that take-out for the rest of my pregnancy sounds like a pretty good solution.

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Cheesecake

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Poor Chris has been putting up with a lot on my end lately.  He’s such a sweetheart about it, but the fact is that I haven’t been as active around the house as usual.  Dinners aren’t always made, laundry has been a bear to tackle, and he puts up with it and doesn’t complain.

So yesterday, after doing laundry, picking up around the house, cleaning the kitchen, and updating the budget, I made him a cheesecake.

Sidebar: I may be the only girl in the world who’s boyfriend made her a cheesecake for her birthday after 3 weeks of dating.  That was Chris, and the cheesecake is the stuff of legend.

4 bars of cream cheese.

Godiva chocolate liqueur.

Symphony bar chunks.

Chocolate cookie crust.

Oh me, oh my!  No one ever made me a cheesecake, and he’d gone so far as to use a water bath when he made it!  I was smitten, and Chris was looking pretty good, too ;-)

Proof that Chris once had a picture of Homer Simpson in his underwear hanging in his apartment, a fact which he disputes!  And the other picture?  Yeah, that was hanging from a vent with a twisty-tie.  Classic boy college decor!

In the nearly 6 years we’ve been married, I’ve made him one cheesecake before now.  Its not that I don’t like to bake, its that I’m terribly intimidated when it comes to making a cheesecake for Chris!  I’m always convinced that he won’t like it, but I decided to buck up, tie on an apron, and just go for it.

My first cheesecake problem occurred when, after returning from my walk to the grocery, I realized that the bar of cream cheese that I thought was in the refrigerator was, in fact, no longer there and that I was short.  Cream cheese in New Zealand comes in larger packages than in the States, so I wasn’t too distressed.  Still, I was a bit disappointed over having broken one of the cardinal rules of recipe shopping – always have eyes-on the ingredient before you assume that you have it!

So, the recipe was modified.  Instead of using 4 bars of cream cheese {which seemed like a lot to me, anyway}, I made do with slightly more than 3 bars and took out one of the eggs.  I made the crust, popped it in the freezer for awhile, made the filling {divine!}, heated up the water bath in the oven, and baked.  In the middle of that, my parents called on Skype.  They were able to witness a bit of the cheesecake making process, and when it was in the oven I was able to Skype chat with one of my sisters and niece.  That’s the best way to make cheesecake, in my opinion – lots of love and family conversation thrown in the mix :-)

So, how did it turn out?  It turned out… quite well!  It wasn’t specatular and I won’t be winning any awards, but it was cheesecake and it was good.  Part of the problem is our oven {that’s not a cop-out – if you had our oven, you’d hate it, too!}.  Our oven consistently cooks at least 15 degrees too cool.  So, I have to set it for 15 degrees higher than normal.  It also will randomly heat up and cool off during a baking cycle.  I checked it 4 times during the cheesecake baking, and each 4 times it had self-adjusted.. Oh, and the back half of our oven cooks more rapidly than the front, so I kept trying to even things out by rotating.  I hate our oven.  Chris didn’t seem to mind too much, though…

There are no words for this photo!

Probably one of the goofiest pictures that I have of Chris!  This was the face he made when he saw my reaction to him taking such a huge bite of cheesecake!

Explaining to me why big bites are necessary {but forks aren’t} when eating cheesecake.  Is he not the cutest college professor you ever saw?

If you feel like following in my delicious footsteps and you want to make a cheesecake of your very own, then feel free to follow the recipe that I’ve typed out below.  Enjoy!

CHEESECAKE RECIPE

CRUST

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 C melted margarine or butter

FILLING

3 {8 ounce or 250 gram} packages of cream cheese

1 1/4 C granulated sugar

1/2 C sour cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F {~245 degrees C}.  Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet that will fit the cheesecake pan inside into the oven.  Fill pan with ~ 1/2 inch of hot water and keep in oven while preheating.  This will be your water bath.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and melted butter in bowl.  Mix together with fork and pour into 9 inch cheesecake pan.  Press mixture into bottom of pan and 2/3 of the way up the sides.  Wrap a large piece of heavy-duty foil around pan, making sure that there are no tears or gaps for water to leak inside.  Place in freezer while mixing the filling.

Using an electric mixer, mix together cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, and sour cream till smooth, even consistency.  Be sure to use a spatula and scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing.  Whisk eggs in medium bowl and pour into cream cheese mixture.  Blend mixture just enough to incorporate the eggs and achieve an even texture.

Remove crust from freezer and pour filling into it.  Carefully place the cheesecake into the preheated water bath.  Bake at 475 degrees F {~245 degrees C} for 12 minutes, then turn down oven to 350 degrees F {~175 degrees C} for 50 – 60 minutes, or till top of cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color.  Center of cheesecake will still be a bit wobbly, but this will set as the cheesecake continues baking while cooling.  Cover and chill the cheesecake in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.  Top each slice with whipped cream and sliced fruit.  Serves 12.

*Recipe adapted from “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes: Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake”

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Menu Monday… and a giveaway!

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First up – the giveaway!  I’m probably decreasing my odds of winning by doing this, but you should head on over to Miller’s blog and check out her giveaway {it’s for a great book}.  She’s a sweet Southern transplant who’s moved to the Midwest and takes amazing pictures.  I love reading her posts and hearing about her life :-)

Hello, my lovely readers!  Hope you had a great weekend.  I’m loving the Spring-like weather we’ve been experiencing here in New Zealand.  Bring it on!

Here’s what’s on our plate for this week…

Monday

Emeril’s Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes {with squash/pumpkin!} + Walnut Salad with Avocado & Garlic Dressing

Tuesday

30 Minute Chili – a good recipe if you prefer food that’s less spicy.  I usually kick it up a notch by adding chopped green chilies, some Kaitaia Fire chili sauce, and a few extra veggies.

Wednesday

Leftover Chili

Thursday

Scrounge – I always keep a couple of quick prep meal items on hand – stir-fry mix, pasta, rice, veggies, etc – so that not every meal of the week is set in stone and can be shifted around if the mood calls for it

Friday

Double recipe of Butternut Squash Soup, with nutmeg instead of ginger

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Some of you may have already picked up on this, but I’m really loving squash/pumpkin in our recipes these days.  However, I wasn’t planning to make butternut squash soup and only tacked that on after a miscommunication.  The personal shopper at Foodtown somehow turned “two small-to-medium sized butternut pumpkin” {remember, squash is called pumpkin in NZ}, into two HUGE butternut squash, and I know have almost 8 pounds of squash that I need to use.  I know this, because once it arrived I measured it in the food scale.  Yikes!  I love the online grocery shopping, but stuff like this makes me wish {just a teensy bit} that I’d gone in person.

I hope you’ve all got a nice week planned with lots of good things on your plate :-)

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Menu Monday

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Chris has made a request for more veggie casseroles, as we seem to have been eating a lot of pasta lately.  I agree.  Unfortunately, he told me this after I’d already planned on making a yummy-looking recipe that I’d heard about via The Farmer and the Southern Belle, so he’ll have to wait just a little bit this week before we get to the green stuff.

Monday

Southwest Pasta Bake

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Tuesday

Leftover casserole

Wednesday

Paula Deen’s Broccoli Casserole.  Chris loved this the last time I made it.  I thought it tasted like broccoli with the special sauce they put on Big Mac’s.  But, since he likes it so much, I’ll make it again!

I was unable to take a “before” photo of this the last time because Chris wolfed it down

Thursday

Breakfast for dinner :-)

Friday

Dinner with friends!

My week is looking to be a good one: I’m working Monday and Tuesday, and then I have 9 days off, which just happens to coincide with Chris’ mid-semester break.  I’ve got plans to finally get my hair done {nothing’s been done to it for 4 months}, to see friends, and to explore a bit more of the area.  I’m also really looking forward to being able to spend some more time with Chris. I hope that you all have a fun week planned, too :-)   See ya!

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Menu Monday

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Hey everyone – hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was fun on Friday but went downhill from there: sore throat, runny nose, cough, bloodshot eyes… the works.  I slept cradling a Kleenex box instead of my husband, and each morning, the floor looked like it had snowed 2 ply lotion tissues.  Yuck.  I loaded up on decongestant, cough/sore throat lozenges, hot cocoa, and Chai tea.  That helped, but I’m still not completely cured.  I ended up calling in sick for work Monday night, which of course made me feel badly.  I would rather call off than expose everyone to my germs while getting even more run down and more sick, though, so I know that it was a good decision.

Anyway, enough about illness!  You can expect some fun posts from me this week – books, music, photos!

But it wouldn’t be a proper start to the week without a menu, now would it?  Of course not.  Here’s what we’ve got cooking over the next couple of days…

Monday

Homemade Makeover Macaroni + Cheese Casserole – made in advance on Sunday because, at that time, I thought that I’d be working Monday night.  I modified this version, using 2% shredded cheddar in place of Velveeta {none of that in New Zealand}, 1 1/2 tsp of prepared Dijon mustard instead of the ground mustard, and 2 cups of shredded, reduced-fat Mozzarella in place of the 2 cups of cheddar.   Turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself :-)

Tuesday

Pasta + salad/veggies

Wednesday

Falafel + Veggies

Thursday

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole from the Pioneer Woman – remember how I said that last week, I doubled the batch and put one in the freezer?  Time to use it up!

Friday

I’ve scheduled homemade pizza for this day, but in all honesty, we’ll probably just nosh on the leftover chicken casserole.  It’s so good!

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Cheesy Pasta with Roasted Squash and Bacon

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I’ve mentioned before that since moving to New Zealand, I’ve started branching out in some of our recipes.  One particular ingredient that I’ve been using a lot of is squash {or pumpkin, as it’s called over here}.  I’ve turned to Cooking Light many times for meal ideas and recipes, and they were the source for my latest creation.  If you like pasta with creamy, cheesy dressing, roasted veggies, bacon, and shallots, then you’ll love this…

First, start off with some pumpkin/squash.

Cut the squash into small chunks {approximately 1 inch} and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Take some salt…

And then a little rosemary…

And then some pepper…

Mix it all up…

And then sprinkle it onto the chopped squash…

Once you’ve spread the spices, pop it into the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, start makin’ some bacon!  I looked for turkey bacon in New Zealand, but the closest that I could fine was this:

It looked a little strange, but it still tasted yummy!

While the bacon’s frying and the squash is roasting, you can start making the pasta…

Once the bacon’s cooked and the pasta’s made, but while the squash is still roasting, you can get to chopping!

You’ll need some shallots:

It’s at times like this that I’m grateful for my Pampered Chef chopper.  It makes chopping a breeze!  A bit of peeling and a few minutes later, you’re left with this:

So now you’ve got your shallots, your bacon, your pasta, and the squash is ready to come out of the oven!  Combine the squash, bacon, and shallots…

Doesn’t that look pretty?  All those colors!  Makes me think of Autumn :-)

After mixing the shallots, squash, and bacon, set aside and get out the milk.  Pour yourself 2 cups’ worth.

Then measure out some flour and salt into a saucepan…

Bit by bit, add the milk into the saucepan, stirring constantly and cooking over medium-high heat.

I forgot to take a photo of this next step, but once the milk, flour, and salt have thickened, remove from heat and stir in shredded provolone cheese till melted.  Take the whole mixture and pour over pasta that’s been placed in a prepared casserole dish.  It looks so good…

But we’re not done yet!  You have to add the toppings:

A little bit of cheese…

Pop it in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, and you’re done!

Don’t worry if the squash looks a little burnt.  I promise you, it tastes fabulous.

So tell me, are you hungry yet?

**Recipe can be found here on CookingLight.com.  I modified their version by using crown pumpkin, skim milk instead of 2%, mozzarella cheese, and chicken bacon instead of regular!**

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Menu Monday!

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Hey everyone – hope you had a great weekend.  Ours was busy.  I went to a cute cafe in Ponsonby called “Agnes Curran”, stopped in at Milly’s Kitchen Shop, checked out a store called “The Mad Butcher”, went to Mitre 10 for some things {the equivalent of a Lowe’s in NZ}, and looked at furniture.  Busy, busy, busy!  When I was at the butcher shop I bought, um, a lot of chicken.  Normally, chicken at our local grocery store runs anywhere from $15.99 – $18.99 a kilo {or about $7.99 – $9.50 a pound}.  The Mad Butcher was having a sale that was much more economical than that, so I stocked up.  I found a way to make room in our little freezer, and now I have enough chicken for probably the next 4 weeks, ha ha!

So, chicken salad, anyone?

Monday

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches + Tomato Soup

Tuesday

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta {minus the ham called for by the recipe}

Wednesday

PW’s Chicken Spaghetti Casserole {I’m making two of these and freezing one for next week}

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Thursday

Leftovers

Friday

Breakfast for dinner: scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon!

I hope that you all are having a great Monday with lots of fun things on your plate :-)

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Homemade Salsa in New Zealand

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New Zealand, believe it or not, isn’t exactly known for it’s Mexican food.

I know, I know – hard to believe!

Tortilla chips here taste a bit differently, and for the most part, we’ve seen only 1 – 2 brands of salsa on the store shelves.  There are smaller specialty stores, but gone are the days of one-stop shopping when it comes to making my taco soup.

As a result, I’ve started making my own salsa.  I use a recipe that Kate sent me, which she originally got from a friend {did you follow all that?  Good!}.  Here’s the finished product…

It was so yummy.  I’ll definitely make it again.  If you want the original recipe, then click here.  I doctored our version for a couple of reasons: (1) I don’t like cilantro, or coriander as it’s referred to here in NZ, so I didn’t buy any during my grocery shopping, (2) I like my salsa a bit spicier with a few “extras” added in, and (3) I wanted to make a bigger batch for guests.  If you’d like to make my version, then do {roughly} the following…

Use:

  • 2 cans of diced tomatoes {not crushed/flavored}
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 6 spicy jalapeno slices from a jar
  • Juice of 2 limes {or 4 T lime juice}
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 C fresh corn or frozen corn, thawed
  • 3 splashes of Kaitaia Fire or some other hot sauce

Combine all of the above ingredients {except the corn!} in a blender or food processor and mix together.   Pour into a bowl and stir in the corn.  That’s it!  I’m hoping to make some and use it the next time I make Taco Soup.

So what about you?  Do you have a favorite salsa recipe or favorite salsa brand?  Do you prefer it fresh or straight from the jar?

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Menu Monday

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I had my first online grocery shopping experience this weekend, and I’m hooked!  It was so cool to shop in my pajamas while watching “Friends” on Friday night.  That’s right – I just admitted that I was watching re-runs in my PJs on a Friday night.  In my defense, it was rainy, I was tired, and I’ve been without a TV for the last 2 months, so there!

Anyway….

I went online, browsed the “aisles”, checked things off my list, selected a delivery time, and paid for it all.  It was delivered to my door with a smile by 10:30am the next morning, and I couldn’t help but feel spoiled as I toted my groceries from the front door to my kitchen.  So nice :-)   There is a delivery fee, but if you spend more, the delivery fee is less.  I’m going to try to do a 2-week menu plan so that the delivery fee is less and we don’t pay it as often, and then maybe make a mini mid-way trip for perishables such as milk.

So, on to the menu!  I’m working three 12s this week, and I really don’t like having to cook after walking home from the hospital.  Chris is there, but I’ve learned that whenever he really “cooks”, the kitchen looks like a mini disaster area – dishes stacked, sauce on the bottoms of the upper cabinets, drawers hanging open, spinach burnt onto the stove top, and cheese on the floor.  Are you getting the mental image?  Good.  Now you know why I’d rather just do the cooking myself, ha ha!

Monday

Macaroni and cheese from a box and frozen veggies.  I know, I know – it stinks as a dinner, but I have it on hand and I work Monday.  I only have a few boxes of this leftover from the States, so it won’t be a meal too often :-)

Tuesday

Spinach casserole.  So good!  Spinach, reduced-fat cottage cheese, reduced-fat cheddar {or tasty cheese, as they say in NZ – love it!}, sauteed onions, eggs, flour, and margarine/butter.  Mix it all up in big bowl, put it in a pan, and bake!  Let me know if you want the recipe :-)

Wednesday

Leftover spinach casserole

Thursday

Pan-Fried Falafel with sun-dried tomatoes and coriander {sounds fancy, but it’s sold at the grocery for minor ducats and tastes fabulous}

Friday

Chicken Stir-Fry {I didn’t make this last week, so I’m going to do it this week instead}

It’s not much of a menu – there’s basically only one meal that follows a recipe, but I could care less!

So tell me, what’s cooking in your kitchen this week?  Do you cook from a menu or just go with whatever you have on hand?  As usual, feel free to share any of your favorite recipes with me!

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